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Using the Cyber Career Pathways Tool: College Students & Teachers
By: Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS)
Use: Validate Knowledge and Skills
ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE
The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS) under the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) aims to address the nation’s shortage in cybersecurity workers by helping users of all skill levels find the cybersecurity education and training information they need to advance their careers. The NICCS website provides cybersecurity training, education, and career information tools and resources for the Nation’s workforce.
The NICE Framework is the backbone of the tools and resources on NICCS and provides a variety of audiences -- including private and public sector employees, students (i.e., K-12, college, and graduate), educators, veterans, and industry -- with a common language for understanding cybersecurity work and what is required to complete that work. The interactive version of the NICE Framework on NICCS allows audiences to learn more about cybersecurity Work Roles and their Task, Knowledge, and Skill (TKS) statements. Building on that, the Cyber Career Pathways Tool then offers interactive ways for users to further explore and build career roadmaps across the NICE Framework Work Roles.
TIE-IN WITH THE NICE FRAMEWORK
The NICE Framework and Cyber Career Pathways Tool give college students the opportunity to learn about cybersecurity work and career options; discover and build career paths; and better understand what knowledge and skills are needed to achieve their goals.
DRIVERS
- Many college students are interested in cybersecurity but do not always have the understanding, technical knowledge, or experience to start their studies or choose a particular career path in cyber.
- College students need assistance with finding opportunities to gain experience in cybersecurity, whether it be updating their résumé, finding internships or entry-level positions, or preparing for job interviews.
PROCESS
The NICE Framework and Cyber Career Pathways Tool on NICCS is used across the United States to introduce cybersecurity careers to students and help them shape their career paths and discover entry-level job opportunities. The NICCS team interviewed two college teachers who have used the NICE Framework at their National Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) designated schools to understand how these tools are incorporated into their teachings:
- NCAE-C University Professor: This college professor displays the interactive NICE Framework on NICCS in front of his introductory cybersecurity classes and walks through each of the Work Roles to introduce the students to the Task, Knowledge, and Skill (TKS) statements in each role. He provides real-world examples and applications of these areas for the students and then assigns them a project to go through the roles on their own and research the multitude of career paths they can take.
- NCAE-C Community College Professor: This community college professor teaches courses using the Cyber Career Pathways Tool to help beginner-level cybersecurity students understand what is needed to achieve their first jobs in cybersecurity. He includes exploration of the NICE Framework Work Roles within the Cyber Career Pathways Tool in his course modules to help students learn the language, find certifications, explore jobs, and enhance their résumés.
BENEFITS & IMPACT
College students listed the following benefits of using the NICE Framework and Cyber Career Pathways tool on NICCS:
- Learning about unique careers they did not realize were possible in cybersecurity until they explored the NICE Framework on NICCS.
- Exploring potential jobs by reading through “Related Functional Job Titles” related to Work Roles in the Cyber Career Pathways Tool.
- Reading Task, Knowledge, and Skill statements to better understand where they need more studying, training, certifications, or work experience on their résumés.
- Using details from the NICE Framework to update their cover letters and résumés and prepare for interviews to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the requirements of open positions listed on recruiting sites.
“The Cyber Career Pathways Tool allows my community college students to develop an understanding of jobs in cybersecurity and what tasks they will be doing in those jobs.”
-NCAE-C Community College Professor
“The NICCS website and the interactive NICE Framework are eye opening for my students, especially for those just beginning their journeys. It allows them to learn about potential Work Roles and understand tangible career opportunities at a time where they don’t know a lot about cybersecurity work.”
-NCAE-C University Professor
CONTACT INFORMATION & RESOURCES
Contact:
NICCS [at] cisa.dhs.gov (NICCS[at]cisa[dot]dhs[dot]gov)
Website:
niccs.cisa.gov